Stepping Stone to Stardom
by Pinklove21
Summary: After her break up with Finn, Rachel needs to rethink what she's doing if she's ever going to get famous. And along the way, she figures out how she can and does do it. Brochel oneshot, my first Glee fanfic!


After coming back from Lima from that horribly necessary break up with the first love of her life, Rachel spends the flight home attempting mostly in vain to hold back tears. She knows she did the right thing, but wishes it didn't hurt so much. But one thing does make her feel better; now that she's truly done with Finn officially, she can free herself to work and focus on her classes and dreams.

But maybe it doesn't have to be so lonely. Maybe not right away, but some time maybe soon she already knows what she will allow. And even if love seems so sucky now, she knows that love can bloom again with a different boy. More specifically, Brody Weston. They had an undeniable attraction from the moment they met (and not just physically, though she had to admit that he was quite handsome and hot) and that one single kiss they had shared before Finn came banging on the door had been one of the best she'd ever had, of that she was certain. The almost fiery electricity that made its way from their locked lips throughout her entire body made her shiver with desire, and that was only from a kiss. If the sexual attraction was undeniable before, then it's nothing compared to now when her lips start tingling just from the thought.

So yes, maybe she would allow it, but her heart needed a break first. She needed to make sure it worked out perfectly and not just to get over Finn because Brody was more than just a rebound. She knew he was.

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A junior at NYADA now, Rachel felt more on top of the world than ever. All the fresh faces of the sometimes frightened and nervous freshman made her smile, remembering her time. Being with the horrible Ms. July, that awful dance teacher that seemed to have it out for her and trying to make her way around the big city. The awful dorms and her sex crazed roommate before Kurt came to her rescue and they moved into their apartment. And most of all, she got the man when she finally realized about a month and a half after she broke up with Finn that she should be happy and could be, there was no use waiting.

The best decision of her life, it turned out. Brody was the best boyfriend she could ever ask for, making her confident and feel sexy without even trying, a true romantic at heart (and always sweet in bed when she finally couldn't resist anymore), and most of all, he never once held her back. After all, his life was performing arts too, and that only made her better. Their renditions of all the love songs that came on the radio were heartfelt and tender and pitch perfect, their voices coming into a perfect harmony.

The only thing she wishes were different is that he was still here at NYADA with her. Since he graduated in May they had spent most of the summer when he wasn't practicing for his supporting role as Doody in the Broadway rendition of Grease coming out in December together, a perfectly happy couple that everyone would be jealous of. The only thing that she wishes that happened this summer that didn't was that girl's best friend that she would gladly take this time around, but she had hope. She knew he was super busy and she was so proud of him that even her wants could wait for that. Her man was going to be on Broadway and she was on her way there.

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At twenty two years old, Rachel knew she had finally gotten what she always wanted. That she would never in her life be called a Lima Loser, never again to be shaked at as the girl with dreams from a small town who thought she could make it big. Because she had proved them all wrong, and now she was in Hollywood working on her first album, her first single already a hit on iTunes. With some rather helpful and hurtful inspiration of course…

When Christmas came and went her Junior year at NYADA and she still had no ring on her finger, she finally brought it up to Brody. And to her surprise, he said that he loved her but that wasn't in the plans for a while yet. She was shocked and hurt, but stayed with him after that. But they had their problems, him being busy with his shows and her with school and helping out Kurt when he was extra stressed with his now full time job at . Her senior year early spring semester she found out from a friend that was an extra on Grease that Brody had slept with one of the castmates and she was furious. When he got back to his apartment they had a huge fight, and he claimed it only happened because he was horribly drunk but then it happened again with a different girl, the same excuse. She couldn't take it anymore and they broke up, her heart even more broken than Finn.

But that happened to be almost a blessing in disguise, because to deal with the pain she wrote a song and sang it anywhere she was when she was missing him or angry or just feeling lonely. And one day near the end of her Senior year a recording artist heard her song and brought her to the studio with an offer to record it, which of course she did (because who would turn down an opportunity like that?) and the company liked it so much that they put it on some radio stations just local here in New York. And then it went onto iTunes and exploded, becoming the top song for three weeks straight and giving Rachel Barry immediate fame.

Poor Finn, believing that the song was about him, actually came to Hollywood where she moved to after graduating to make a CD that would hopefully be as big as the hit single she made, and she groaned to herself. They hadn't really spoken much since they broke up four years ago, but they did have a horribly awful and awkward conversation back in her second year at NYADA when she came home for Christmas, Brody with her. He seemed to be stuck in Lima and didn't seem very happy (and also told her he still missed her), but he was with a girl now, one from Toledo that moved to Lima for a job and she guessed he would be alright. But him showing up like that and thinking it was about him…well, it broke her heart a little to tell him it wasn't. Because he didn't seem thrilled to be in Lima still but admitted that he realized that he always would be, it was Rachel that was always meant to be out of there and to fame which she was.

And that's when she realized that Finn could have never been the road to take if she was going to end up here. Because while she did love him and he was a good singer, she needed someone great and to make her feel like she was on top of the world to get to where she was now (even though it was ironically a breakup that lead her to fame), and Finn and being married to him in Lima, Ohio would have never worked. She would probably be with him as a music teacher or glee club director like Mr. Schue, maybe even have a kid or something already. And she'd be stuck there forever. No, Brody was definitely the stepping stone she needed to get here. Even still hurt she knew that.

And then she also realized that she still loved him, no matter what happened between them or him with those other girls. Because they were mistakes, he had told her that enough. And without him she didn't seem to have any inspiration for her CD, no one to tell her that she was amazing and give her confidence like he always could. She realized…that maybe she could forgive him. She certainly wasn't happy without him, and though she'd been on a few dates she always compared them to him and left with a frown on her face complete with a sigh. She longed for him….she still loved him.

Maybe Brody Weston wasn't only a stepping stone to her path to stardom. Maybe he was the light that made it all possible.

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"Thank you so much!" Rachel smiles almost breathlessly after belting out the last song, the crowd going wild as she waves before making her way off stage. If you had asked her eight years ago if she'd be here now, she would have told you absolutely. And alright, yes that was just a dream back then, but this was the true reality and she loved every minute of it.

And in her home in New York City in the penthouse was also the place she always wanted to be. She could go get coffee any time of day if she wasn't busy at home or in the studio or preparing for a concert, this final one here in Madison Square Garden being the last of this 31 city tour so she could take a break and begin working on her new album. And she could always go to Broadway plays or premieres, of which she happily did plenty of. She was ecstatically happy with her life of stardom just like she always wanted. Rachel finally had it all.

"Amazing show. You're best one yet." A voice greets her as soon as she gets backstage. She smiles at the voice as it comes closer, and Brody embraces her before plopping a sweet kiss on her lips with a smile.

"You say that every show." She blushes slightly, shaking her head with a smile at him. He's the reason she has all this inspiration to create better and better songs, of that she knows. His Broadways plays give her it, seeing them over and over (because she just loves to watch him) and thinking of ways to improve the songs and coming up with a brand new idea. Or going to bars with him and they listen to the new NYADA students sing, her blushing when it happens to be one of her songs and he reminds her of what lead to that song, which sparks a new one. Or yes, making love or just going out on dates with bring a love song out of her. Brody is her muse, her love, and her life. He's always been her number one fan and confident since she came to stardom and that will never change. They will only change for the better and the world will get new songs out of it.

"Only because it's true." He grins at her before pressing a kiss to her cheek when a force brings itself to her legs, holding on to her as she laughs.

"Mommy, Mommy, can you sing again?" her four year old daughter asks her as she picks her up and pretends to contemplate it before answering.

"Of course. When we get home we will. Maybe Daddy will even sing something with me for your own concert." I answer her as she bobs her head yes with her beautiful smile, her brown curls bouncing and her bright blue eyes wide with excitement. She seems wide awake for how late it is and Rachel knows there's no way that she's going to go to bed anytime soon, but maybe a lullaby will do the trick. Singing always helps.

"He sure will." Brody agrees as the guards come to escort us out. "Are you ready to go celebrate your end of tour Mrs. Weston?"

"You have no idea." I answer him as we walk towards the limo that will bring us home, knowing that celebrating consists of going home to (hopefully) sing our daughter to sleep soon so we can really celebrate.

And with a smile and waving to my fans as we get in the limo, I sigh with happiness that I finally have all I could dream of and more. Love, family, fame and fortune have become Rachel Berry's and she couldn't be happier. Never. And all it took was a little inspiration from her man (and a wealth of talent and luck of course).


End file.
